Firefighters Still In Dark On Any Deerfield Beach Pay Offer

June 16, 1985|By Theresa Defino, Staff Writer

DEERFIELD BEACH — The city`s firefighters left the second bargaining session with City Manager J. Eldon Mariott shaking their heads over several unanswered questions -- such as how much of a raise they will be offered.

But the union negotiators, hammering out a two-year contract, also got up from the table with several firm no`s from Mariott on issues such as safety and insurance.

Dan Cucciniello, the firefighters union representative, told Mariott that safety was one of the more vital concerns. He sought to have a paragraph inserted into the union contract that would specify all facilities for the firefighters would be operated so as to ``ensure a healthy and safe environment for the employees.``

Mariott agreed to add the words ``healthy and safe`` but said he found them unnecessary.

He did not agree, however, to add a separate section stating the city ``recognizes the need to minimize exposure and agrees to avoid unnecessarily exposing employees to hazardous situations.``

The 62-member union also asked Mariott whether the city could institute a dental insurance plan and increase the amount of medical insurance paid by the city. Currently, the city pays health insurance premiums for individual firefighters, but not their families.